Ontario’s highest court has upheld a lengthy nine-year prison term for a 76-year-old man convicted of sexually abusing neighbourhood boys in Old North London more than four decades ago.

In December 2010, Robert Hall, living in Aylmer at the time of his trials, was sentenced to three years on two counts of indecent assault and two counts of gross indecency involving one boy. In January 2011, he was dealt another six years on nine convictions for assaults on five other boys.

The six-year term was reviewed by the Ontario Court of Appeal, which agreed with Superior Court Justice Kelly Gorman’s decision.

“The offences on which the trial judge imposed sentence involved a number of innocent children,” the court said. “They were seriously scarred as a consequence of the appellant’s wrongful conduct. While the offences are historical, they involve a sexual predator abusing young victims.”

Gorman’s sentence took into account the three-year sentence Hall had been dealt before her decision. “Equally, she considered the appellant’s lack of insight into his crimes, but did not over-emphasize it,” the court said.

There was an adjustment ordered to the sentence, a reduction of 42 days to reflect Hall’s pre-trial custody that wasn’t included in the original sentencing calculation.

Hall, who lived on Waterloo St. in London for years, was convicted of abusing boys between 1962 and 1974.

He was initially seen as a friendly mechanic with cool cars and motorcycles, including a rare Amphicar, a vehicle that could be used both on land and water.

He would invite boys into his home to see his collection, but then would lure and terrorize them into participating in sexual acts, including touching Hall.

One of the boys was attacked in a park behind Hall’s home while flying model airplanes and was sexually assaulted. Another was a Free Press paper boy.

Two of the boys reported assaults while they were members of a pipe and drum band with Hall.

The boys, now adults, came forward after stories appeared in the newspaper.

Hall has other criminal convictions for similar crimes. He said at his trial he had been successfully treated for pedophilia and that he had been sexually abused as a boy when he was an Air Cadet.